Southerly 32 Buyer's Guide
The Southerly 32, launched in 2007 and built through 2014, is a Stephen Jones-designed swing-keel cruiser that has become a familiar name among used Southerly 32s for its shallow-draught versatility and roomy interior. Shopping the brokerage market means weighing a design that can dry out on a hard alongside the maintenance history of its lifting keel and a few construction details worth checking before you commit.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example shares the same three-level accommodation: a raised sole at the companionway, a saloon dropped forward, and an aft master cabin with heads access beneath the bridgedeck. The keel case is built into the saloon table so it stays unobtrusive, and the broad stern with raised coachroof gives the below-decks space of a much larger boat. Buyers should expect a port galley and starboard chart table by the companionway, with a forecabin down another step. Because the cockpit stops short of the full hull width, side decks reach the transom and the steering area stays narrow and secure rather than open.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market a bow thruster, self-tacking jib, autopilot, heating and cockpit shower are commonly fitted, and the same goes for chartplotter, AIS and radar — sensible given the twin-rudder, lifting-keel hull where a thruster is close to essential for low-speed control. Sail-handling upgrades often seen include a gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker and a furling main, with a bimini and short-handed setup appearing on many boats. Less common owner additions run to watermakers, air conditioning, inverters and electric winches. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy (heating, inverter, occasional electric winches), sail handling (self-tacking jib, furling main, gennaker) and navigation (chartplotter, radar, AIS) — the rest are comfort extras rather than condition drivers.
What to Inspect
Because the cast iron keel mechanism should be serviced on a five-to-ten-year basis, verify the overhaul record of the lifting keel on any candidate. Keel box integrity is the serious one: various Southerly models have shown GRP keel box failures, and on this design the GRP corners can work into the GRP box in poor weather, while a heavy grounding can detach the bilge framework bonding that supports the box. Check the balsa-cored decks for moisture at the mast wiring glands and jib track anchor points, and look at the slightly proud teak cappings for damage from lifting strops sustained during haul-outs.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up most often in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Before you buy:
- Confirm keel-system service records for the last decade.
- Examine the GRP keel box and bilge framework bonding for cracking or movement.
- Test deck moisture at mast glands and jib tracks with a meter.
- Inspect teak cappings for strop crush damage from previous lifts.
- Verify bow thruster operation given the twin-rudder layout.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Southerly 32. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $180,086 | — |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $163,060 | -9.5% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $161,974 | -0.7% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $135,940 | -16.1% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $169,857 | +24.9% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $169,559 | -0.2% |
Where they're listed
Southerly 32 listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 9 (69.2%), followed by France and Germany.
Country view
13 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $168,566 | 9 | 4 | 69.2% |
| France | $137,503 | 3 | 0 | 23.1% |
| Germany | $186,444 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 32 | 31.5' | $ 22,140 | 55 | 11 |
| Jeanneau SUN Sun Odyssey 32 | 31.5' | $ 54,308 | 33 | 6 |
| J-Boats J/32 | 32.6' | $ 65,000 | 25 | 12 |
| Jeanneau Sun Fast 32 | 31.17' | $ 49,263 | 24 | 8 |
| SOUTHERLY 100 | 33.75' | $ 37,044 | 22 | 2 |
| Dufour 32 | 33.83' | $ 173,626 | 15 | 6 |
| Southerly 32You are here | — | $ 163,060 | 13 | 4 |
| Sabre 32 | 32.17' | $ 35,000 | 11 | 7 |
| Hunter Marine Channel 32/323 | 32.35' | $ 37,521 | 9 | 4 |